more than half of a million people have fled from syria, and the syrian president bashar al- assad has said he would do whatever he can to end the violence to on boy -- envoy lakhdar brahimi. zeina khodr, what about this story that they have taken the border town? >> it is a small town, but there has been a long, difficult fight over three months. they have had between 100 and two hundred soldiers held up. was a difficult fight for the rebels. strategic, it is not in the sense that it will allow them to make further advances, but the rebels are trying to clear the border region from government forces. when now, they control most of the border region aside from a main border crossing. >> what about the context with lakhdar brahimi's visit to damascus? >> well, as we know, very little progress on the political front, which means more fighting is expected, but what we have been seeing is a new influx of refugees. they are writing from the province of hama, where the rebels opened a new front a few days ago, pushing into the countryside, and they are pushing further, trying to reach the ci